2nd worker in 8 days dies in fall at a World Cup stadium construction site in Russia

MOSCOW – A worker has been killed in a fall at the construction site for a World Cup stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, a week after another died in similar circumstances.

The stadium's general contractor, Transstroy, told The Associated Press in an emailed statement that the man slipped and fell while fitting sheet steel to the roof of the stadium.

"Due to his own lack of caution, a roofer born in 1992 fell from the roof of the stadium," the company said. "According to instructions on safety technique, he had undergone instruction before the shift and was equipped with the required equipment."

The man, whose identity was not released, was described as coming from the Tver region, which lies between St. Petersburg and Moscow.

On Dec. 4, the city government said another worker had died after falling off a roof while trying to retrieve a piece of dropped construction material.

Following that incident, local authorities said safety procedures would be stepped up and an investigation conducted into the man's death.

The 69,000-seat arena, which will host a World Cup semifinal match, has been plagued by cost increases and delays.

According to Russian official statements and media reports, at least seven workers have died at the St. Petersburg stadium site. In 2013, one worker died at a World Cup stadium site in Moscow and another in Kazan.